Thank you for showing me your offices , Mr . Becker . I can see why Washington bureaucrats enjoy their jobs .   Why do you say that ?   The city is beautiful , the off ... , the offices are modern and comfortable , and the work is so interesting .   Many people work for the federal government their entire adult lives . Government service can be a rewarding and secure career .   Do you mean financially rewarding ?   Well , many positions pay salaries that are comparable to those in private industries .   I've always thought that most bureaucrats are lazy .   Sometimes that's true , but not usually . Most feds are honest , hard-working professionals . It ’ s hard to keep highly trained people , so the pay and working conditions have to be attractive .   How much do you make ?   I'm a GS - 15 . That's high on the scale of workers , but even a GS - 1 is paid a living wage . 